The Sea Witch's Curse

~1~        The water shimmered and shifted around the shadows, dancing in shades of emerald and viridian. Copper strands flickered between the seaweed and misty eyes peered around the swaying stalks.      Ariella floated in the dark waters, nudging two strands of seaweed apart to look between. Positioned around her were several other mermen and mermaids; she couldn't hear them, but she could feel their presence and the gentle undulations of the sea giving away their location. She silently sliced her tail through the water, signaling there was something up ahead.      All of her senses were on high alert; her skin felt in tune with the ocean and its whims. There was something on the surface, someone. Her heart raced in her chest, and she tried to calm herself to no success. There he was.      Her prey.     It was the night of her eighteenth birthday and the night of her full initiation into the ranks of her kingdom. Tonight would mark her official status as heir to the throne of Meridia. She could feel the salt in the water tingle against every nerve and brush against every scale. There was no room for mishap here; her father wasn't one to extend grace.      Somewhere up above her party, there was one man floating along on a lonely surfboard. She screwed her eyes and made out soft ripples on the surface. The shadows suddenly moved, and she darted down, curving tactfully around tall seaweed and peering up, up to the surface, where pallid moonlight landed and scattered in diffractions all around her.      She could see him now, floating along the top of the water. She turned and made out a pair of glowing white eyes glistening a few yards away. The rich, jewel-toned purple of her to-be betrothed's scales caught her glance and his intent gaze met hers for a moment before he nodded. Go on, she could almost hear him say. He was a year older than her and had already led many Hunts like this one. She took a long breath and turned away.      The ripples were slowly but steadily growing closer; she could see a distant hand idly skimming through the surface of the water to propel his board further. She felt a small push from her left and knew the rest of her team was scattering. This was her time to shine; they would all wander off a little way to watch from a distance and prepare for backup if she needed help, but seeing this was part of her initiation, the responsibility laid solely on her shoulders from here on out.      Quietly and carefully, she moved up through the waters. Her smooth gem-like scales, gleaming turquoise in the light filtering downwards, made no resistance to her movement, and like an agile fish, she twisted and looped higher and higher towards her target.      In almost an instant, she saw the outline of his surfboard turn. Unmistakably, he was turning around.      She could feel a disturbance coming from the other direction, at the top of the water's edge. She rushed to the surface and pushed her head through the barrier.      The air was chilly, a soft breeze sliding over her pale cheeks. Just a few feet ahead of her was a man, sitting still on his board with his tanned back to her. She could see the outline of his shoulder blades and tousled black hair settling just below his chin.     He was hyper-focused on something...no, someone ahead of him. Before she could register the other figure lurking in the water, a SPLASH and a jolt of his surfboard sent the boy tumbling into the dark.     Panicking, she plunged down after him, a cascade of bubbles erupting around her as she dove without regard. Faster and faster, she frantically flexed her tail to whip her further down. She could make out an amorphous shape just ahead, shooting deeper into the depths.      She didn’t entirely know what she was doing, but her body carried her instinctively after the boy and his assailant. She pushed through kelp and around the fish darting out of her path.      Suddenly, she lost track of them, and she slowed to a halt. All movement stilled around her, and her heart sank down into her stomach.      They got him.      Not only would she have to deal with the guilt and shame of letting him get captured, but she would also have to go home to a disappointed father, having failed her first Hunt.      She glanced around her, searching for any sign of movement.      A small glimmer of light shone in the corner of her vision, and she instantly turned towards it. She drifted slowly closer to the seafloor, her tail skimming the sand below. The surrounding water suddenly came alive with vibrations and shifting. She sucked down the lump growing in her throat and edged towards a clump of weeds.      She pried the slimy stalks apart and held her breath, stiffening her body to keep silent.     Sand floated in a cloud around the small space. A writhing tail swept through the water and someone's arm shot out towards Ariella, struggling to drag itself away and clawing hastily at the dirt. In a moment the arm slid back into the murk.     A bubbly yell followed the firm thump of a tail against the hard ground; she made out the shape of the boy as the dust settled, struggling beneath the weight of another mermaid. His neck stretched out, his head thrust backward, his cobalt eyes open wide.     “Help.” He mouthed this single word as their eyes met. Her hands shook, and that instant seemed to stretch on for a thousand moments. He managed this one word before closing his eyes and going limp. His black hair floated in a halo around his head. The mermaid, covered in shadows, pressed against him and coiled her black scaly tail around his leg.      I have to do something. I have to do SOMETHING.      Ariella gripped the weeds in her hands, and without another pause, bundled as many of them as she could between her webbed fingers. An iridescent bolt, she shot out of the tangles and plowed into the woman. Her body writhed gracefully over them, the fin of her tail hooking into the weeds she grabbed to pull them out taut.     Startled, the woman let out a yelp as Ariella overtook her, sinking claws into her sides and yanking her away. She twisted the weeds around her arms, fastening them just enough to restrain her. She backed away and looped her arms underneath the boy’s shoulders, pulling him out from underneath her.      The mermaid struggled and wiggled; her scales were dark as the water, nearly blending in, and her eyes matched - black and bottomless with rage.      A faint spark of recognition arose in Ariella’s mind, but she pushed it away. She pulled the boy closer and wrapped her arms around his torso before turning and swimming off.     She pushed herself higher, higher to the surface, and towards the shore. The weight was becoming increasingly burdensome, but her sea-toned arms could handle it. She pressed her fingers into his back tightly, careful not to scratch the delicate skin.      Finally, she broke through the surface and into the air. She gasped for breath, lungs heaving from her swim and the hasty resurfacing. Her arms were quickly growing sore, but she steeled herself against it and shifted his weight slightly up over her shoulder. His skin was sticky with salty residue, and she could feel the firm muscles beneath. Her face warmed with the sudden realization of his closeness; no one had ever been that close to her, not even her betrothed. He felt so different, yet so similar to one of her kind. He felt so fragile, yet somehow strong. It almost felt like she was violating him.      Her heart pounded in her ears, and her mind whizzed with a million little thoughts. She forced a deep breath and started wading towards the shoreline. With only a few yards to go, she made it there shortly.      She pulled herself as close to dry land as she could, allowing the gentle tide to push her further, but the sharp grains scraped against her tender skin painfully. She winced at the unpleasant sensation but kept on. It took all she had not to thrust him onto the ground, but she managed to lay him tenderly against the wet dirt. Water softly lapped around them as she hunched over his body.      She paused for a few moments, catching her breath while she stared at the handsome stranger. His features were mostly masculine and sharp, but there was a youthful roundness in his cheeks and around his eyes. Damp black hair stuck to his forehead in endearing waves.      She found herself wanting to watch him even longer but knew he needed to be resuscitated. She pressed a hand to his chest and leaned over. Delicately, she placed her mouth over his open lips and blew four powerful breaths into his lungs. She sat back up, leaning on her tail, and watched.     His chest moved a few seconds later, and he jolted to the side, spitting up water. His arms were shaking as he settled back down. His eyelids blinked rapidly before slowly opening. He observed her with a befuddled expression, dark brows furrowed.      She froze, not knowing what to do. His hand twitched as if he wanted to move it but couldn’t. Impulsively, she rested hers atop it, relishing the feel of the skin's softness. “Hush,” she murmured. “Just rest. It’s okay.”      His face slowly relaxed, and she whispered again, “Shh..” She timidly raised her other hand and pressed it against his icy cheek. She began humming softly, an ancient Meridian lullaby her mother used to sing to her. His sleepy eyes shut languorously and soon enough he fell into a quiet slumber.     The peacefulness of night surrounded them, the smell of salt in her nose, and the sound of wind and birds flying above. She carefully stroked his cheek and brushed the hairs away from his forehead.     This feels a little creepy.     A distant shout alarmed her, and she snapped her head up. She made out a bright light in the distance. It grew closer and closer every second, and she realized it was someone carrying a swinging lantern, running in their direction. Time to go. She glanced back down at the sleeping man for another second before pushing herself back until the tide swept her out into submersion.      The welcoming ocean took her in, covering her thirsty skin with its cool embrace. The dry air had left it and her scales aching. She twisted around, reveling in the water. She could feel her body’s strength gradually return and began her swim home.          Ariella was anxious the whole way back. She knew her father would not be waiting for her with open arms and would have to deal with all his wrath when all she wanted was to crawl into bed.      She made it home without event and didn’t spare a glance towards the gatekeepers as she slid past. All around her, tall buildings made of coral and stone glimmered in the shadows. The arches and pathways were barren; everyone was at home asleep. She swam down the long bridge towards the palace, stomach churning more and more the closer she got.      The palace in its grandeur loomed in the darkness; normally the golden marble and coral glowed with brilliance, displaying the full measure of Meridia's majesty. However, at night, and this night in particular, its tall pillars and archways felt ominous above her.     She pushed open the heavy doors just enough to slip through the c***k, her back to the room as she silently closed them behind her. No lights were on; darkness cloaked the interior and for a moment she thought she'd made it home free.     “Princess. Ari. Ella.” King Tritus enunciated her name slowly. She turned around to face him, eyes wide in dismay. “I’m sorry, father, I-”     “Enough!” His booming voice cut her off and he slammed the butt of his trident on the marble floor. “Do you know the things I’ve heard tonight?” She hung her head lower in shame. “First, I hear you disappeared from your own initiation ceremony, and then when I send out a search party for you, I hear you were actually rescuing a human? You do know you were supposed to hunt the human, right?”     “I’m sorry!” She snapped, her eyes moistening. “Some other mermaid stole him, and he was in danger, I, I-”     “I said ENOUGH!” He stomped his trident even harder on the floor. “I will not have my daughter grow up to be some human sympathizing wench! Off to bed with you, I don’t even wanna look at you!”     "Father, please," she pleaded, her voice breaking. "I promise I didn't mean to upset you. I just...I don't know what came over me. And I didn't recognize the mermaid who took him, I didn't know what she was gonna do! I didn't think, I just acted. Please believe me!" She was shaking to the tip of her tail, feeling the weight of her actions settle over her shoulders.      "You've always been way too curious about the surface world, about the edge." His pale eyes were cold and harsh; they glinted through the room's shadows. "Maybe I need to keep you as far away from it as possible. We'll have to postpone your initiation for a while."     "No, no," she urged, "Please, please, Father. I promise I won't mess it up again. I'm ready. Please."      He turned his head away. Silence filled the room and seemed to echo in the empty room. "Go to bed," he answered, not bothering to meet her eyes.      "Father-"     "Go. to. bed."      She hurried past him, holding her tears in as she darted up the grand staircase and down the hallway to her room. She slammed her door shut and immediately curled up in the nook of a giant clamshell. Its softness enveloped her, and she sobbed breathlessly into her arm.      I’m probably never going to be crown princess now. He may as well give the title to one of my sisters.      A wave of tiredness swept over her, and she let her frustration steep her into sleep.